TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

3 Robbery Suspects Arrested After 2-County Pursuit

News Channel 8 photo by CHIP OSOWSKI

Deputies say the three robbery suspects jumped out of the gold Impala in the background.

ADVERTISEMENT

TBO.com

Published: January 23, 2009

Updated: 01/23/2009 11:12 am

Three strong-arm robbery suspects are in custody after a chase that started in Pasco County this morning and ended in Lutz.

Pasco deputies said the robbery occurred at the Land O' Lakes Recycling Center, 5710 Land O' Lakes Blvd., at 7:36 a.m. today.

After the pursuit by Pasco and Hillsborough deputies, the trio jumped out of their gold Chevrolet Impala near Woodway Drive and Woodcliff Avenue, Hillsborough deputies said.

Deputies first found Ismael Vasquez near Idlewild Baptist Church, east of Dale Mabry Highway and a couple of miles west of where the car was abandoned, Hillsborough sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. Vasquez, 32, of 9509 Brayfield Court, Tampa, was taken into custody without incident.

The suspected driver, Rafael Burgos was tracked by a deputy canine in a wooded area off Lake Magdalene Boulevard. Burgos, 23, of 6414 Casitas Court, No. 207, Tampa, was treated by paramedics after he was bitten by the dog during his capture, Carter said.

Deputies found Brian Archer, 24, of 2808 Lincoln Ave., Tampa, in a backyard at 10012 Woodfair Place, Tampa. He was arrested without incident.

Deputies say the men had cash on them believed to be from the robbery.

The chase began before 8 a.m., authorities said. It wound west on State Road 54 and then south on Livingston Avenue into Hillsborough, where Hillsborough deputies joined in. The car was stopped west of North Boulevard and north of Bearss Avenue.

At times, the pursuit reached speeds of more than 100 mph, authorities said. As it wound onto the two-lane roads of Livingston, Sunset Lane and Hanna Road, the pursuit continued at speeds of 50 and 60 mph, deputies said.

After the suspects ditched their vehicle, Buchanan Middle School was in modified lockdown until deputies found all three men. The school, at Bearss and North Boulevard, is less than a quarter-mile from where the chase ended.

Modified lockdown means students, staff and faculty continue their daily routine within the school, but administrators "suspended all outdoor activities and are controlling access to the school," said Hillsborough school district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe.

The school was hosting countywide band conference, and band members from schools across Hillsborough were on campus, Cobbe said. The remained in the cafeteria during the lockdown, Cobbe said.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT